Keith Ellison projected winner in hotly-contested AG race, Schultz to concede

MINNEAPOLIS -- DFL incumbent Keith Ellison has won the attorney general race in Minnesota over Republican challenger Jim Schultz, the Associated Press projects.

Schultz said that he would concede to Ellison later Wednesday afternoon.

MORE: 2022 Midterm Election Results

For more than 50 years, Minnesota's attorney general has been a Democrat, and this year's race is a squeaker. With 100% of the votes tallied by the Secretary of State, Ellison had a 20,869-vote lead over Schultz. His lead would put the race outside of the scope for a state-funded recount.

On Wednesday morning, Ellison released the following statement:

"We've been through tough times in the last four years: a global pandemic, George Floyd killed on our Minnesota streets, the Dobbs decision that stripped women of their rights, and so much more. When times get hard, you can get bitter, or you can get better — and we got better.

"We got out there and reached out to each other — and while others were trying to have Minnesotans turn on each other, we turned to each other. Because everybody counts and everybody matters. In the words of the great Paul Wellstone, 'We all do better when we all do better.' Those phrases mean the same thing: empathy, compassion, and unity. Those are the values we brought to this race.

"But this election was tough. Millions of dollars were spent to sow division, hate, and fear. And we overcame it: we were positive, and Minnesotans responded.

"I am very grateful for this win. I'm thankful to my campaign staff, the staff of the Minnesota Attorney General's Office, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and the elected officials who endorsed me, all county attorneys who supported my candidacy, faith leaders who supported us and called out the tactics of fear and division, and all the volunteers who made this win possible.

"Above all, I thank the voters of Minnesota for the great honor of serving you as your Attorney General. I promise to continue helping you afford your lives and live with dignity, safety, and respect every day."

Before AP's projection, Schultz said, "The results are now clear, and I plan to call Attorney General Ellison later today to congratulate him on his reelection." He said he was "very proud" of the race, despite the outcome. 

One of the issues that separated the candidates is the changes Schultz wanted to make to the Attorney General's Office if he wins. Schultz wants to take resources out of the AG's consumer unit and put it towards beefing up criminal prosecutions.

Right now, the AG's office only gets involved in a criminal case if a county attorney asks for help. Ellison wants to keep the office structured the way it is, and he wants to continue aggressively pursuing consumer issues.

Ellison's four years as attorney general includes the successful prosecution of former police officers Derek Chauvin and Kim Potter, winning lawsuits against big pharma and fiercely defending abortion rights.

Ellison's 2018 win marked the first time a Black candidate had won a statewide race.